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4£.

KELLY*S GUID E T O LON DON— P A D D IN G T O N D IST R IC T .

PADDINGTON DISTRICT.
AS
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the K e n sin g to n d istric t is b ounded b y H y d e P a rk and K e n sin g to n G ardens
on the north and w est sid es, so P a d d in gto n is bounded by them on its

south ern sid e.

T h e d istric t can boast o£ m any fine squares and terraces of

houses, but it con tain s no p u b lic b u ild in g s o f a n y p u b lic in terest, and no
churches even o f a n y great b eau ty.

A s a re sid e n tial d istrict it has great a d van ­

tages o ver its south ern n eigh bou r, K e n sin g to n , as a great proportion o f it is
on g ra v e l so il.

T h o u g h the P ark s are not a c tu a lly in P a d d in gto n , it is a con ­

v en ie n t part o f L o n d o n from w h ich to v is it th em , and th ey m ay therefore be
ap p ro p riate ly d escrib ed here.

HYDE PARK

covers an area o f little less than 400 acres, and w ith K e n ­

sin gto n G ardens, from w h ich it is o n ly a rtific ia lly d iv id e d , clo se on 630 acres.
T h e site o f I ly d e P a rk o r ig in a lly b elo n ged to the old M an or o f H y d e , w h ich
w a s th e property o f the A b b e y o f W estm in ster.

T h e P a rk w as first la id out and

en clo se d so fa r b ack as the re ig n o f H e n ry V I I I . ; a t the close o f the 17th
cen tury it w as la rg e ly d evoted to horse races, and in th e. e a rlie r part o f the
f o llo w in g cen tury, its co n d itio n h a v in g b ecom e m uch n eglected , it w as for m any
y e a rs fam o u s as th e scene o f duels.

T h e greatest care is n ow expend ed in

k e e p in g u p th e orn am en tal gard en s on the eastern and southern sid es o f the
P a rk , and it is rem ark a b le fo r the beau ty o f its trees.

In the L o n d on season it

presents liv e ly scenes tw ic e a d ay , as R o tten

is crow d ed w ith riders

Row

o f b oth se x es in th e m orn in g, and the d rive from H y d e P a rk C o rn er a t the w est
en d o f P ic c a d illy to P r in c e ’s G a te a t IC n igh tsb rid ge is crow d ed w ith carriages
in the aftern oon .

O n S u n days, b etw een I and 2 p .m . in the L o n d o n season,

cro w d s o f fa sh io n ab le peo p le freq u en t the footp ath s b y R o tte n R o w .

T h e statue

o f A c h ille s , w h ich is clo se to H y d e P ark C o rn er, w as erected in 1822 in honour
o f th e D u k e o f W e llin g to n and h is b rave com pan ion s in arm s ; it w as cast from
th e m etal o f F re n c h guns captured in the P en in su lar W a r and a t W aterlo o .
T h e S erp en tin e, a large sh eet o f a rtific ia l w ater, p artly in H y d e P a rk and p a rtly
in K e n sin g to n G ardens, w as form ed in th e re ig n o f G eorge I I .
used b y sk aters in w in ter.

I t is largely

KENSINGTON GARDENS
b e a u tifu l aven ues.

a re rem ark able fo r th eir n o b le elm s an
T h e re is p ro b a b ly , w ith the exc ep tio n o f the P h cen ix P a rk in

D u b lin , n o th in g in a n y oth er c ity o f the w o rld w h ich can be com pared w ith H y d e
P a rk and K e n sin g to n G ard ens, and it is a m atter of frequen t com m ent that the
m ore retired parts o f them sh ou ld be so little used b y Londoners.